Early this morning World Streets welcomed our 3000th registered reader. After almost to the day four years of faithful service to the cause of sustainable transport, sustainable cities and sustainable lives, since the beginning of the year we have started to receive a substantial increase in these contacts. For example, even as I write this note, the number is up to 2015 (which you can confirm for yourself in the top right column). We feel proud and hope that you as one of our readers feel proud too. After all , the only reason we are here is to learn from each other and do what we can to make our cities and our planet fairer and better places for all, today and tomorrow.

Why has this bump of interest come about?

It is certainly not because we are publishing more. And while the quality standard remains high as ever, but as editor I cannot really spot any major difference.

I have to guess it is because of the fact that we have started to give much more coverage and put more work into the Equity Initiative, including a total Spring cleaning and redrafting of the blog so that our readers can conveniently navigate of the considerable body of work and references being shared here under this heading.

And this is our lesson. To put the concept of equity at the very top of our list for the remainder of this year. To continue coverage in these pages, to engage cities and other partners wishing to test the water for this “new” and as yet not very clearly defined concept. To continue our efforts to publish a short book on the subject by mid year (book already in progress as you can see in the equity section of this site). And to encourage others to do the same or, one might reasonably hope, more and better.

Who reads World Streets in Spring 2013?

The following map summarizes the locations of the last 80 visitors to check into the site. The overall pattern is pretty much what we see from day to day, though we usually have regular traffic from Japan, Korea and Taiwan. On the other hand China is well hidden behind the wall. And it is always heartwarming when we hear from readers in the Middle East and Africa.

(The US pattern that we are seeing today is also quite typical, and the fact that for the most part we are accessed by people in states that voted for President Obama is also perhaps worth a thought.)

Our readers today come from more than one hundred fifty countries on al continents. Just below you will find a listing which presents them in order of frequency of access, with the US, the UK, Canada Australia and India at the top – not surprising since we publish in English.

United States

United Kingdom

Canada

Australia

India

France

Germany

Brazil

Italy

Spain

Netherlands

Sweden

South Africa

New Zealand

Portugal

Philippines

Russian Federation

Chile

Taiwan

Belgium

Finland

Estonia

Thailand

Norway

Singapore

Korea

Denmark

Poland

Mexico

Turkey

Indonesia

Japan

Malaysia

Austria

Switzerland

Pakistan

Greece

Hong Kong

Colombia

Ireland

Israel

Serbia

Czech Republic

Hungary

Argentina

Romania

Ukraine

Iceland

United Arab Emirates

Latvia

Lithuania

Bangladesh

Kenya

Viet Nam

Slovenia

Nigeria

Saudi Arabia

Croatia

Slovakia

Egypt

Albania

Bulgaria

Peru

Moldova

Nepal

Sri Lanka

Uganda

Qatar

Cambodia

Dominican Republic

Ghana

Lebanon

Venezuela

Jordan

Mauritius

Ecuador

Iraq

Kuwait

Trinidad and Tobago

Mozambique

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Puerto Rico

Georgia

Bahrain

Macao

Tanzania

Ethiopia

Cyprus

Brunei

Darussalam

Oman

Syrian Arab Republic

Macedonia

Malta

Jamaica

Morocco

Azerbaijan

Senegal

Mongolia

Algeria

Costa Rica

Armenia

Palestine

Guyana

Djibouti

Côte d’Ivoire

Fiji

Maldives

Libya

Luxembourg

Belarus

Honduras

Tunisia

Botswana

Guadeloupe

Yemen

Rwanda

Virgin Islands, British

Guatemala

Afghanistan

Gambia

Zimbabwe

China

Faroe Islands

Panama

Guernsey

Kazakhstan

Uruguay

El Salvador

Andorra

Paraguay

Burkina Faso

Lesotho

Namibia

Swaziland

Isle of Man

Benin

Saint Lucia

Bolivia

Bhutan

Laos

Liechtenstein

Myanmar

Barbados

Uzbekistan

Bahamas

Gabon

Sudan

Tajikistan

Togo

Suriname

Martinique

Réunion

Guam

Bermuda

Aruba

Conclusion

It looks to your editor like we are doing a job that some people at least think needs to be done. So let’s keep at it at least in the year ahead.

The downside for us is that as founding editor I still have not figured out how to pay for it. I decided at the beginning that the journal would be free to all, and that we would not accept advertising. And I must confess that I would rather let the whole thing sink into the ocean before giving up on either of these ethical points. (If anyone has any ideas of how we can find the support necessary to continue to do the job, that would be a great and timely relief.)

In the meantime we are going to push hard to make a major contribution with the Equity Initiative in the year ahead, and hope that you will stay on board for the voyage, and possibly even get directly involved. We are betting on equity. Because without it I don’t see a lot of any real promise on the horizon.